1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to artificial respiration devices, and more particularly pertains to a device and process for administering mouth to mouth artificial respiration to a patient by an attendant. When a patient is not breathing, emergency treatment in the form of CPR commonly requires rapid administration of artificial respiration in order to restore respiratory function to the victim or patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Particularly with the increase of various contagious diseases, a number of devices have been developed in the prior art for facilitating the administering of mouth to mouth resuscitation while avoiding direct contact between the attendant administering the resuscitation and the patient or victim. These devices have generally included a tubular passage with a one-way check valve through which the attendant can force air into the patient's mouth (and lungs) while also providing means for allowing air to be exhaled by the patient in order to promote a normal respiratory cycle. For example, such a device is disclosed by A. S. Cross in U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,124, issued Mar. 10, 1964. Similar devices also adapted for facilitating mouth to mouth resuscitation are disclosed in a number of other U.S. Patents including for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,046, issued May 18, 1976 to Harris; U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,765, issued Aug. 20, 1985, to Paoluccio et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,114, issued Apr. 1, 1986 to Gray et al. These additional patents are representative of further refinements in such devices. For example, the Paoluccio et al patent discloses such a device with separate conduits for forcing air into the patient's mouth and for allowing exhaled air to be exhausted to the atmosphere. It is of course obvious that additional prior art references have been directed towards similar devices for facilitating mouth to mouth resuscitation. However, it is believed that the above noted patents are representative of the design of such available devices.
Because of the importance of rapidly administering CPR to patient's or victims where respiration has stopped, further refinements have been found to be desirable in such devices in order to achieve objectives such as those set forth below in connection with the device of the present invention.